The Benefits of Ear Seeding

Ear seeding, also known as auriculotherapy, is a form of acupressure. The external ear is represented by nerve endings that can be stimulated to influence the central nervous system, and organs in the body. The seeds themselves are vaccaria seeds. For a more modern twist, 24K gold, Swarovski crystals, or small steel balls can be placed. 

Pressure at specific points stimulates the vagus nerve which sends a message to your brain that alters biochemical responses, helping to achieve your desired result

Ear seeding will de-stress, balance, energize, boost immunity, improve sleep and more. These benefits include all types of pain management such as headache, PMS symptoms, tension, and neck and shoulder pressure. Ear seeding can help to relieve stress and anxiety, and can improve focus, memory, and digestion. Ear seeding helps to promote relaxation and restore balance. Once the seeds are applied, the seeds act as a support system that runs in the background as you go about your day.

Read more about ear seeding here in our featured article in Byrdie! Or here on our website!

Releasing Stuck Emotions

We experience physiological responses in our bodies when we experience emotions. Stressful and difficult emotions can sometimes get stuck in our physical bodies and must be released. There are different tools to use such as movement, breath work, acupuncture and body work to release these emotions through what is called somatic healing. 

It's important to acknowledge our emotions so that they don't manifest physically as disharmony and disease.

Movement: In nature, animals face a great deal of stress while trying to survive. When a gazelle is chased by a lion and escapes, it gets stuck with pent-up fear, trauma and anxiety. It releases these emotions through what is called neurogenic tremoring. The approach involves shaking the body to release tension and trauma, helping to regulate the nervous system. Dr. Peter Levine developed somatic experiencing as a body-based therapy to process and release trauma. Start by shaking your hands, then your whole arms, and then your entire body, bouncing and moving and literally "shaking it off". 

Breath Work: Our breath is an incredible tool to move energy and to help us let things go. It helps bring our attention down into our bodies, inhaling to deepen our focus on the present moment, and exhaling all that does not serve us. Just a few moments of deep belly breathing can regulate our nervous system, taking us from an agitated state to a relaxed and calmer space. Simply close your eyes, take a deep inhale into your lungs, expand your belly, hold for just a moment, and then let the air release out of your mouth. Make sure your exhales are 2x longer than your inhales to feel the effects of this calming practice. Do this 10 times and notice the difference in how you feel. 

Acupuncture: The state of our mind and quality of our emotions may be the leading causes of disease. Negative thoughts and emotion create imbalance and disharmony within the body, which makes us more susceptible to dysfunction and illness. When your symptoms are addressed in acupuncture, your underlying emotions are also released. Acupuncture helps to move Qi, or energy, and release energy that is stagnant in the body. For some individuals with stuck emotions, acupuncture can cause an emotional release. 

Be aware of what you are feeling - it is a healthy start to your best wellness.

Feel it and then let it go. 

How Emotions Manifest

What happens when you feel an emotion? Does it make your stomach flutter? Or cheeks flush? Or maybe it makes your chest burn?

These are all physiological responses to a felt emotion. It's real for you, because you feel it. Sometimes these responses happen without us even realizing what emotion they are attached to. But if you pay attention to where that feeling is in your body, it can help you figure out what's really going on inside. 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, each organ in our body has a corresponding emotion associated with it. Below, we have highlighted each pair and how symptoms might manifest if you're experiencing an emotion that is stuck. 

Grief & Regret - Lungs: Tightness in the chest, being unable to take a big breath, tiredness.

Worry & Stress - Spleen/Stomach: Upset stomach, poor digestion, loss of appetite, "knots" in stomach.

Overstimulation & Shock - Heart: Rapid heartbeat, fluttering, palpitations, insomnia, restlessness. 

Fear & Anxiety - Kidney/Bladder: Persistent urination, incontinence, lower back pain, panic attacks. 

Anger & Resentment - Liver: Red/hot face, headache, menstruation issues, dizziness, outbursts.

If you can acknowledge and face your emotion, you can release it. When we don't recognize emotions or we ignore what we are feeling, that emotion will hide itself and manifest in different symptoms until we pay attention. When something is wrong and we are not feeling at ease, that's what creates dis-ease. You can use different tools, which we will discuss next week, to release these emotions but it's also important to face and acknowledge that emotions exist.

To feel what you are feeling, is not wrong but a healthy start for your best wellness.